The health office provides assistance in first aid and in administering student medications. This is also the office that notifies parents of any health concerns or injuries at school. Parents are encouraged to keep emergency contact information current. Login to your SISK12 account to verify or update the emergency contact information.
REMEMBER THE 3 C’S:
Clean - properly wash your hands frequently.
Cover – cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
Contain - contain your germs by staying home when sick.
 Families can help prevent the spread of contagious infection by:
- practicing and teaching children to wash their hands often.
- practicing and teaching children not to share personal items (drinks, food, clothing, etc.).
- practicing and teaching children to cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or by sneezing or coughing into the elbow, arm or sleeve.
- staying current with recommended children's vaccinations, including those for seasonal flu and Novel H1N1 flu.
- keeping children home when they have a fever (>=100° F/37.5 C) and having the child remain home until fever-free (without medication) for at least 24 hours.
Please contact the school health office with health-related questions or concerns or visit the District 65 web site to learn about immunization requirements, to access informative health links, and to get general information about District 65's health services.
H NDS-ONHealth Health Wave Newsletter
October is National Dental Hygiene Month
Oral health is often taken for granted, but it is an essential part of
our everyday lives. Good oral health enhances our ability to speak,
smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and convey our feelings
and emotions through facial expressions. However, oral diseases,
which range from cavities to oral cancer, cause pain and disability
for millions of Americans each year.
• Tooth decay (cavities) is a common problem for people of all ages.
For children, untreated cavities can cause pain, dysfunction, school
absences, difficulty concentrating, and poor appearance—problems
that greatly affect a child’s quality of life and ability to succeed.
• Tooth decay affects more than one-fourth of U.S. children aged 2–5
and half of those aged 12–15. About half of all children and twothirds
of children aged 12–19 from low-income families have had
decay.
• Children and adolescents of some racial and ethnic groups and
those from lower-income families have more untreated decay. For
example, 40% of Mexican American children aged 6–8 have
untreated decay, compared with 25% of non-Hispanic whites.
Twenty percent of all adolescents aged 12–19 years currently have
untreated tooth decay.
• Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection caused by bacteria that
gets under the gum tissue and begins to destroy the gums and
bone. Teeth become loose, chewing becomes difficult, and teeth
may have to be extracted. Gum disease also may be connected to
damage elsewhere in the body; recent studies link oral infections
with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature, low-weight
births. Further research is under way to examine these connections.
• Advanced gum disease affects 4%–12% of adults. Half of the cases
of severe gum disease in the United States are the result of cigarette
smoking. Three times as many smokers have gum disease as people
who have never smoked.
Health Wave Publishing
Company
39 Davenport Street
Stamford, CT 06902
Tel: 203-975-7810 or
800-374-7953
Fax: 203-975-7946
e-mail: hpwinfo@
healthwaveinc.com
AGES 2-11
42% of children have
had dental caries
in their primary teeth.
59% have had
dental caries in
their primary
teeth.
23% of children have
untreated dental caries.
• Ages 2-11 have an average of 1.6
decayed primary teeth and 3.6 decayed
primary surfaces.
AGES 12-19
AGES 20-64
23% have untreated decay
• Ages 12-19 have an average of 0.54
decayed or missing permanent teeth
and 1.03 decayed permanent surfaces.
• Ages 20-64 have an average of 3.28
decayed or missing permanent teeth
and 13.65 decayed and missing
permanent surfaces.
23% have untreated decay
92% have had dental caries in
their permanent teeth.
Source: NIDCR, NIH
Most Oral Diseases
are Preventable
Many children and adults still go
without simple measures that have
been proven to be effective in preventing
oral diseases and reducing
dental care costs. An example is
water fluoridation. Fluoride prevents
tooth decay, and the most cost-effective
way to deliver the benefits of fluoride
to all residents of a community is
through water fluoridation—that is,
adjusting the fluoride in the public
water supply to the appropriate level
for decay prevention. However, only
27 states have met the Healthy People
2010 objective of having 75% of their
citizens on public water systems with
water fluoridation.
One CDC study found that in communities
with more than 20,000 residents,
every $1 invested in community
water fluoridation yields about $38 in
savings each year from fewer cavities
treated.
Another safe, effective way to prevent
cavities is through the use of dental
sealants—plastic coatings applied to
the chewing surfaces of the back
teeth, where most decay occurs. Yet
only about one-third of children aged
6–19 years have sealants. Although
children from lower-income families
are almost twice as likely to have
decay as those from higher-income
families, they are only half as likely to
have sealants. (see insert on
Frequently Asked Questions)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why get sealants?
The most important reason for getting sealants is to avoid tooth
decay. Fluoride in toothpaste and in drinking water protects the
smooth surfaces of teeth but back teeth need extra protection.
Sealants cover the chewing surfaces of the back teeth and keep
out germs and food. Having sealants put on teeth before they
decay will also save time and money in the long run by avoiding
fillings, crowns, or caps used to fix decayed teeth.
What causes tooth decay?
Germs in the mouth use the sugar in food to make acids. Over
time, the acids can make a cavity in the tooth. Of course a
healthy tooth is the best tooth. So it is important to prevent decay.
That's why sealants are so important.
Why do back teeth decay so easily?
The chewing surfaces of back teeth are rough and uneven
because they have small pits and grooves. Food and germs can
get stuck in the pits and grooves and stay there a long time
because toothbrush bristles cannot brush them away.
Who should get sealants?
Children should get sealants on their permanent molars as soon
as the teeth come in -- before decay attacks the teeth. The first
permanent molars—called "6 year molars"—come in between the
ages of 5 and 7. The second permanent molars—“12 year molars"
—come in when a child is between 11 and 14 years old. Other
teeth with pits and grooves also might need to be sealed.
Teenagers and young adults who are prone to decay may also
need sealants.
What Parents and
Caregivers Can Do
Here are some things you can do to
ensure good oral health for your child:
• Take your child for an oral health
assessment between ages 1-2, and
every six months thereafter.
• Encourage your children to eat regular
nutritious meals and avoid frequent
between-meal snacking.
• Protect your child’s teeth with fluoride.
• Use a fluoride toothpaste. If your
child is less than 7 years old, put
only a pea-sized amount on their
toothbrush.
• If your drinking water is not fluoridated,
talk to a dentist or physician
about the best way to protect your
child’s teeth.
• Talk to your child’s dentist about
dental sealants. They protect teeth
from decay.
• Make sure your child wears a helmet
when bicycling and uses protective
headgear and mouth guards
in other sports activities.
Should sealants be put on baby teeth?
Your dentist might think it is a good idea, especially if your child's
baby teeth have deep pits and grooves. Baby teeth save space for
permanent teeth. It is important to keep baby teeth healthy so
they don't fall out early.
Does insurance pay for sealants?
Some health insurance programs pay for sealants. Check with
your state Medicaid program or your insurance company for
details.
How long do sealants last?
Sealants can last up to 10 years. But they need to be checked at
regular dental check-ups to make sure they are not chipped or
worn away. The dentist or dental hygienist can repair sealants by
adding more sealant material.
What if a small cavity is accidentally covered by a
sealant?
The decay will not spread, because it is sealed off from its food
and germ supply.
Are sealants new?
No, sealants have been around since the 1960s. Studies by the
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and others
led to the development of dental sealants and showed that they
are safe and effective. But many people still do not know about
sealants. In fact, fewer than one-third of children in the United
States have sealants on their teeth.
Besides sealants, are there other ways to prevent tooth
decay?
Yes. Using fluoride toothpaste and drinking fluoridated water can
help protect teeth from decay. Water is fluoridated in about twothirds
of cities and towns in the United States. If your water is not
fluoridated or if your children's teeth need more fluoride to stay
healthy, a dentist can prescribe it in the form of a gel, mouthrinse,
or tablet. Fluoride is the best defense against tooth decay!
Fluoride...
• makes teeth more resistant to decay
• repairs tiny areas of decay before they become big cavities
• makes germs in the mouth less able to cause decay
Fluoride helps the smooth surfaces of the teeth the most. It is less
effective on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. Regular
brushing -- with fluoride toothpaste -- also helps prevent tooth
decay.
Sealants and fluoride together can prevent almost all tooth decay.
How can I get dental sealants for my children?
Talk to your dentist, state or local dental society, or health department.
Sometimes sealants are put on at school. Check with your
school about whether it has a sealant program.
Source: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National
Institutes of Health
Brush Up on Healthy Teeth: Simple Steps for
Kids’ Smiles
1. Start cleaning teeth early.
As soon as the first tooth appears, begin cleaning by wiping with a
clean, damp cloth every day. When more teeth come in, switch to a
small, soft toothbrush. Begin using toothpaste with fluoride when the
child is 2 years old. Use toothpaste with fluoride earlier if your child’s
doctor or dentist recommends it.
2. Use the right amount of fluoride toothpaste.
Fluoride is important for fighting cavities. But if children younger
than 6 years old swallow too much fluoride, their permanent teeth
may have white spots. To keep this from happening, use only a
small amount of toothpaste (about the size of a pea). Teach your
child to spit out the toothpaste and to rinse well after brushing.
3. Supervise brushing.
Brush your child’s teeth twice a day until your child has the skill to
handle the toothbrush alone. Then continue to closely watch brushing
to make sure the child is doing a thorough job and using only a
small amount of toothpaste.
4. Talk to your child’s doctor or dentist.
Check with the doctor or dentist about your child’s specific fluoride
needs. After age 2, most children get the right amount of fluoride to
help prevent cavities if they drink water that contains fluoride and
brush their teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste twice
a day.
Parents of children older than 6 months should ask about the need
for a fluoride supplement if drinking water does not have enough fluoride.
Do not let a child younger than 6 years old use a fluoride mouth
rinse unless the child’s doctor or dentist recommends it.
Early care for your children’s teeth will protect their smile and their
health.
TOP 10 TOOTHBRUSHING
MISTAKES (FROM WEB MD)
1. NOT USING THE RIGHT
TOOTHBRUSH
2. NOT PICKING THE RIGHT BRISTLE
3. NOT BRUSHING OFTEN ENOUGH OR
LONG ENOUGH
4. BRUSHING TOO OFTEN OR TOO
HARD
5. NOT BRUSHING CORRECTLY
6. STARTING IN THE SAME PLACE
EACH TIME
7. SKIPPING INNER TOOTH SURFACES
8. NOT FOLLOWING UP WITH A RINSE
9. NOT LETTING THE TOOTHBRUSH
DRY
10. NOT CHANGING THE TOOTHBRUSH
OFTEN ENOUGH
Go to: http://www.webmd.com/oralhealth/
healthy-teeth-10/brushing-teethmistakes?
page=2 for more detailed
information.
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